Code Lyoko: Convergence
by DreamStar14
Summary: Converge: (of several people or things) come together from different directions so as eventually to meet. Convergence: the process or state of converging. The six kids of the Lyoko Warrior veterans will converge to face the old threat that is called XANA.
1. 1: Sector Five

A/N: I've wanted to start on this for a while now. Read at your own risk. This first part, I mean for the diaries, or journals in some cases, to be a little clue as to what their characters and personalities are, to give you more insight to their characters. The two pairings I am thinking of are Jeremie/Aelita and Ulrich/Yumi. Odd and William can be paired with whomever you wish. (Which I may or may not change later on in the story.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko, sadly. It belongs to Moonscoop. I do, however, own the six new characters mentioned in this chapter.

~L~Y~O~K~O~

**Code Lyoko: **_**Convergence**_

_**Season One**_

**Episode 1:** Sector Five

_September 11th, Year of 2024, Personal Computer Diary of Tristan Belpois. Entry Begin._

Today was my first official day at Kadic Academy, the old school of my parents. I am in ninth grade, age fourteen years old. I have a roommate, named Daniel Dunbar. He's cool, but he hardly understands me.

Yesterday afternoon, I needed some more parts to finish some of my inventions, so I decided to search in the old, abandoned factory nearby for some scraps of metal and other things. Man was that factory fantastic. I came to search for parts and it did not let me down. I found exactly what I needed.

But I also found a computer. It was turned off, so I decided to go down below where the mother-frame was. Hoping I wouldn't regret my choice later on, I flipped the switch and watched as the supercomputer came to life. When I got back to the main computer room, I read some data and, with my parents' stories running through my mind about a weird virtual world called Lyoko, I finally connected the dots.

Some people may say I'm some kind of blonde-haired, brown-eyed freak for using such complex words as my vocabulary, but surely my sister, Maya, will understand. Tonight, after everyone is asleep, perhaps I will show this Lyoko to Maya.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

_September 11th, 2024, Diary of Maya Belpois._

My pink hair combined with my blue eyes attracts enough attention for me, but now my brother, Tristan has been acting weird today too. He's been on his laptop all day, barely glancing up at me whenever I speak to him. I worry about him, maybe a little too much, and today was no different.

I'm in eighth grade, thirteen years old. My birthday was last Saturday. I met someone today, named Antonio Della Robbia. He has dirty blonde hair with blue highlights. When I asked about the blue, he replied that it was natural and then proceeded to make a joke. Despite his un-humorous joke and atrocious spelling, he and I became very quick friends. I also met a couple more cool kids through him. They were brother and sister, twins, and the girl is my new roommate. Amazing concept, twins are. At least, in my book.

But even after talking about my day and my new friends, I am still homesick. I miss Father's quick-minded, yet highly detailed scientific explanations and Mother's adventure-filled stories about a world named Lyoko and a group of six friends who had these adventures. I definitely miss their smiles, the way they always greeted me, full with happiness and love. Tristan may be more into brainy stuff, but I'm definitely the type who relies on their emotions more.

Tonight, I will confront Tristan about his behavior.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

_September 11th, 2024, Antonio Della Robbia's Awesome Diary._

Age 13, Eighth Grade.

I have a really weird roommate, Rafael Stern, but he is my friend and I say we complete each other. I met his twin sister today, Kimiko, and I met a really cool girl today, Maya Belpois. She has pink hair. Pink.

I mean, I have blue highlights in my hair, but her hair is completely pink. Blue eyes complete her look and I think that she thinks that I am funny. Man, I love tongue twisters. But I think I like her.

But I can't like her. She's my friend, and besides, I just met her today.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

_September 11th, 2024, Rafael Stern's Journal, not Diary._

My roommate is a little too annoying for my taste. He is the jokester type, and yet he has the nerve to say we're best friends. Maybe we are, maybe we aren't. I can't tell for sure.

I am now in Ninth Grade, age 14. I have dark brown hair and hazel eyes.

Sometimes, I wish I could say more, but today my wish has not been granted. Not yet.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

_September 11th, 2024, Kimiko Stern's Very Personal Diary. Keep Your Hands Off!_

Why must my brother be so rude to his roommate? I mean, it's not every day you get to meet someone new. I just wish that he would make some friends every once in a while, and not have to hang around me all the time.

Speaking of roommates, I also have one, named Maya Belpois. She's got pink hair and blue eyes, but she's the sweetest person I know. I love her. She's fantastic.

Quite obviously, I'm better at making friends than Rafael.

Anyways, I'm his twin sister, so obviously, I am also in Ninth grade and fourteen years old. I have black hair and hazel eyes. In some cases we are so much alike, but in personality, we are completely different.

It's amazing how genetics work, isn't it?

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

_September 11th, 2024, Daniel Dunbar's Journal, because I hate the word Diary._

You know I like to keep things short and simple, so I'll make this quick. I have a new roommate, and computer genius/tech-wiz named Tristan Belpois. He's a little anti-social, so I can't read him.

I met this really cute girl today. She's half-Japanese, named Kimiko, but she has this twin brother. If looks could kill, he would have had me dead in just three split seconds. Man, he's so overprotective of her.

I am in Ninth Grade, age fourteen. I don't know if I'll be making any friends this year. Last year was an absolute goose-egg, zip, nada, nothing. Hopefully, maybe this year, I will.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

_September 11, 2024_

Maya raises an eyebrow at the text her brother has just sent her. She's already worried about him. What more could be wrong with him?

_'Maya, meet me at the school gate two hours after curfew tonight. ~ Tristan'_

First of all, he didn't need to sign his name at the end. He's the first person she has on her contact list, most importantly, her caller ID.

Second, he's sitting right across from her. They are currently in the cafeteria for dinner, spaghetti and meatballs, the latter of which could be substituted for chicken if desired. They are sitting at the same table, and once again, he's on his laptop, typing away.

Rolling her eyes, she texts him back with _'Why?'_

A few seconds later, he sends back a reply, _'I have to show you something. Before you ask, it's a secret. I can't show you right now, where everyone can see.'_

She reads his reply, rereading it over and over, before sighing, _'Okay. I'll be there.'_

She sets her iPhone down, knowing that he is reading it right now. She continues with eating her dinner, reading over the lecture notes she got today in History.

Something about a missing scientist named Waldo Schaeffer.

_Schaeffer...she's heard that name before..._

But of course, it's her mother's maiden name. Aelita Schaeffer-Belpois.

Perhaps the two of them are connected. Perhaps they are not.

And it gives Maya something to really ponder over.

~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

Like he asked just four hours before, Maya meets Tristan at the school gate.

When he speaks, he's whispering, as if afraid of getting caught. Not knowing why, she follows his example.

"So, what did you want to show me?"

"Not here," Tristan whispers back. "Follow me."

And Maya follows her brother into the forest. In the background, Antonio sees them leaving from his dorm room window. Getting dressed as fast as he possibly can without making any noise, he quietly follows them, wondering where they are going.

Tristan leads Maya to a manhole cover. She looks at him with her famous _'are you kidding me'_ look.

"I'm not going down in there. It's a sewer, for crying out loud."

"The only other way to where we're going is through the gym, on school grounds. I don't want to risk getting caught," he replies. "Now please, Maya, after you. Ladies first, after all."

Sure, she's a bit of a clean freak, which is why this is so hard for her, but Tristan is her brother.

And she will trust him until the end of time.

And that's why she does as he says. He slides the cover off the entrance of the tunnel, and she goes down the ladder. He goes after her, covering the tunnel back up as he does.

He lands on the ground beside her, and turns to her, his voice a litter louder now, "Come on."

He runs down the hallway, and she follows, asking, "Hey, Tristan, if this is going to be a regular thing of ours, don't you think we should get some skateboards or scooters down here?"

"I don't know. I haven't really thought about it. Come on!"

The tunnel is eventually blocked by a gate, but on the side, there is another ladder that goes upward. Tristan goes up this latter. Maya gratefully follows.

Tristan helps her out of the tunnel when she reaches the top, and closes the tunnel below them as Maya observes where they are.

An abandoned factory...just like the ones in their mother's stories...

But it couldn't be. Could it?

_They were just stories._

Tristan grabs her by the hand and pulls her toward the entrance of the factory. Swinging down the rope, he drags her to an elevator.

"W-Wait! Are you sure this elevator is stable? I mean this factory is at least three decades old. One of the cables could snap or the floor could give away," she stutters, her heart frantic, refusing to believe that her mother's stories could actually be true.

"Erosion would show it, Maya," he replies, getting on the elevator. "Come on. I haven't even shown you my big secret yet."

Cautiously, Maya steps onto the elevator, and Tristan pushes a red button. The door closes, going downward, and Maya feels the elevator going down also.

It stops, and the doors open like two sliding doors. There...is a computer room...

The sphere in the middle of the room, almost like a grid or a map...

A computer which so many wires going into the ceiling and into the floor.

"T-Tristan...what is this?" is all she can say.

"Dad's computer lab."

"Huh?"

"When he was a kid, Dad said he used to go here and work on top secretive things. This isn't even the main frame. It's above us, I believe."

"That explains the wires in the ceiling. But what about below us?"

"I checked. There are three round cylinders, all of which are connected to this computer. According to some of the notes here in this book I found on the chair when I first came here," he takes out a thickly-paged book from big bag, "they are called scanners, and they scan you, place a copy of your genetic code into the computer, and replace you with an avatar when you are transferred within the computer itself."

Silence.

"In English, please..."

"Basically, they are what allow you to be sent to Lyoko, a virtual world inside the Supercomputer."

_Lyoko..._

"Momma always told us stories about a virtual world called Lyoko, and all of this is exactly how she explained it," Maya says. "Tristan... do you think Lyoko could actually be real?"

"What's Lyoko?"

Both heads twist and turn immediately towards the elevator. "A-Antonio?" Maya squeaks.

"Della Robbia?" Tristan asks. "Why are you here?"

"I saw you two leave the campus, and I just wanted to see what you were up to," Antonio replies, coolly, placing his hands behind his head. "No worries. Whatever it is, I won't tell anyone. I mean, it must be a big secret if you two are out past curfew."

Tristan and Maya share a glance. She gives him a nod.

"It's pretty hard to explain it all, but, in a nutshell, Lyoko is a virtual universe that resides inside this computer," the genius replies. "Our parents told stories about it all the time when we were kids, but we never actually believed that it was real until just now, when we first laid our eyes on it."

"Funny, my dad told stories about a virtual world too," Antonio speculates. His eyes widen. "That would explain the pink hair."

"Huh?" The two siblings were utterly confused now. Antonio was not making any sense.

"My dad had two friends during his childhood. I mean, I saw a picture of them and he told me all about them. Are you parents named Jeremie and Aelita?"

Maya slowly nods. "Yeah...listen, Tristan, do you think you could actually send me to Lyoko?"

"Why?" is his first question.

"I don't exactly believe it just quite yet. The only way to make me a believer is to go to Lyoko myself."

Tristan lowers his gaze to the floor. "Alright, fine. Go down to the scanner room." And he takes a seat at the computer. Typing a few buttons, as Maya closes the elevator doors, Tristan begins to warm up the program, according to the notes in the book. "Antonio, are you staying here, or are you going with her?"

"I think I'll stay here for the time being. If she gets into any trouble, that's when I'll go."

"Alright," Tristan replies, continuing to type.

"Tristan, I'm in one of these scanners."

"Alright. I'm starting up the procedure. _Transfer Maya. Scanner Maya. Virtualization!_"

~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

Maya feels her body diverse into millions of pixels, before reforming, and she falls from the sky.

"Ouch!" She had landed on her stomach. She shook her head, before getting to her knees, and then, finally standing up.

It appears she is in an arena.

"Woah!" is her reaction. "Tristan? Tristan, you have to see this!"

Her brother's voice comes from above, like a voiceover. _"Do you think you can give me a visual?"_

"I can try, but this is so cool. Are you seeing this?"

_"I am now. Thanks for the visual there, Maya. Listen, you are in Sector Five, or Carthage. There were actually four sectors before, but they have deleted themselves, due to the computer being off for too long."_

"Do you think you can restore them?" Maya asks and she continues to look around, mainly at herself, the outfit she is wearing.

It's modeled after her mother's doll, the one she passed down to Maya herself, even down to the pointed ears.

Mister Puck.

_"I don't know. I don't think I have the right codes."_

A hallway opens up on her left, and she runs towards it. She is forced to stop, however, when she hits a dead end, but as soon as she stops, the wall in front of her begins to split open, creating the continuation of the path she is currently on.

Maya continues on, walking, not running. She wants to take it all in. Tristan speaks once more from above. _"According to the book, Lyoko was actually destroyed once, but it was recreated. Before its destruction, Sector Five actually had a Key Mechanism that you needed to press within three minutes, otherwise the arena would implode on you. But,"_ he adds before he scared Maya half to death, _"when it was recreated, the Key Mechanism was deleted. You don't have to worry about that. Just keep on exploring."_

"Okay," she replies, walking down a long hallway, eventually reaching a large chamber. "Woah! Tristan, are you seeing this?!"

_"Yes, I am, Sis. I still have your visual. It sure does seem exactly as Mom and Dad described it."_ He pauses. _"Umm...Maya?"_ Now, he is nervous. He sees something on his screen.

"Yeah? What is it?"

_"You're not alone...there's something behind you..."_

Maya turns around, "What? What is it?"

The next thing she sees is white, and then she is back home again. Back at the Hermitage, the house her father renovated for her mother. This is her mother's old childhood home, and it has become hers as well.

But it is empty. Maya is back in her Earth clothes, her ears are gone, and she is still thirteen years old.

But the entire house is empty, save for the playing of the piano in the living room.

That and the house is no longer clean and safe for living in.

Half of it has been destroyed, but Maya follows the sound of the piano, and finds a man sitting at it, playing it, his fingers stretching across the keys like Tristan at a computer.

"W-Who...who are you?"

The man turns around. "My dear..."

"I-It's you...Waldo Schaeffer!"

"Also known as Franz Hopper, dear granddaughter..." he says.

Her eyes widen. "Grandpa!" And she rushed forward, wrapping him in a warm bear hug. "You're supposed to be dead."

"I am supposed to, yes. Yet, here I am, still alive."

"But...I was just on Lyoko. How'd I get back home so fast? And how do you know I'm your granddaughter if we've never met?"

"You are still on Lyoko, at least, your real self is. You are in the form of your own conscience. To answer your last question, I am on Lyoko as well. I am its creator, after all. I read your genetic code as you were being virtualized, and I compared it to my own daughter's, as I had found it very familiar. Once I connected to dots, I knew something had to be done."

"Grandpa..."

"Listen to me, Maya. XANA was never fully destroyed. Both Tyron's computer and the one in the factory were just shut down at the same time, trapping XANA on Lyoko forever, at least, until both computers are operational. XANA has not reawakened, not yet. He is in a coma, waiting for his lost source codes, all 100 percent of them. The original Lyokowarriors got the source codes back into their system as soon as both computers were shut down and XANA was left in limbo. Now, the source codes live within you and the offspring of the six original Lyokowarriors."

"Then...Tristan too? My brother?"

"Yes, however, these source codes are what XANA needs to regain his full strength. If the real world is ever in danger, the red towers must be deactivated as soon as possible. XANA will do anything to regain his codes. But...these source codes will not allow you to deactivate these red towers. Lyoko has a set of Keys than can allow you to deactivate the towers XANA threatens humanity with. You mother holds one half of Lyoko's Keys. I hold the other half, but not for long."

Maya blinks. "Momma holds one half of Lyoko's Keys?"

"Yes, and my half is now being transfered over to you. Maya...I am stepping down as the King of Lyoko. Your grandmother was Queen, and now your mother has taken her own mother's place as Queen, and your father shall be Lyoko's new King."

Maya can feel the Keys pouring within her as they speak.

"Maya, you and your brother are the new Prince and Princess. You are the new heirs to Lyoko's throne. As such, it is your duty to protect both Lyoko and the real world from XANA, and destroy him for good."

~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

"Maya! Maya! Can you read me?! MAYA!"

"Dude," Antonio calms down a frantic Tristan in the factory. "Remember when I said if she gets into any trouble that I would head to Lyoko to make sure she was okay?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"So, why haven't you started up the virtualization program yet?"

Tristan smiles as Antonio heads down to the scanner room and cautiously steps into one of them.

_"Transfer Antonio. Scanner Antonio. Virtualizaion."_

~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

Antonio virtualizes into the same arena Maya was in minutes before. "Uh, Tristan? Why am I a giant blue bird?"

_"I have no idea why. Perhaps, the computer reads into your own subconscious desires and_ _projects them onto your digital reincarnation?"_

"I don't dream about big blue birds! But I do have to admit...my wings are pretty cool."

_"You have wings?"_

"Yeah, they're retractable and can disappear at will, but if I have wings, then I must be able to fly somehow. But no time for that now. Where's Maya?"

_"Access hall on your right center."_

"Gotcha!"

And he runs down the hallway. When he gets to the room Maya was last seen in, Antonio doesn't see her anywhere. All he sees is a giant blue and white energy sphere.

"Uh...Tristan? Is Maya here anywhere? I don't see her. All I see is a giant white ball of energy." Weird creepers began to crawl out of holes in the ground. "And now little creepy monsters are attacking it! What should I do?"

It takes him a while to answer. _"Antonio, don't attack the ball. Attack the monsters! But don't trust the sphere as an ally until I know for sure."_

"But I don't have a weapon, genius!"

_"According to your ID card, you can shoot energy-based arrows with just your arms._ _You're not completely defenseless. Besides, you can also fly, remember?"_

"Oh yeah!"

Antonio forms a bow with his left hand, while forming an arrow with his right. He releases the arrow, and one creeper goes down.

In the factory, Tristan gets another message from the man who calls himself Franz Hopper.

_'Maya is still alive. If your bird friend attacks me, she will be gone also.'_

_'Where is she?'_

_'She is inside the sphere you and your friend see.'_

_'How do you know this?'_

_'Because I am the sphere, and I am also your grandfather.'_

"Franz Hopper...Grandpa." Back on Lyoko, Antonio hears Tristan's voice over head. _"Antonio, listen to me. Do not attack the sphere."_

"Is it an ally to us?"

_"In a way. Well, ally or not, we have no choice but to let it continue its mission here. Antonio, Maya is in that sphere. It's talking to me right now. That sphere is Franz Hopper, and it's currently in the process of downloading his half of Lyoko's Keys to Maya. You need to protect that sphere at all costs!"_

A couple of minutes later, the sphere gently lowers an unconscious Maya to the ground, before devirtualizing her and Antonio both, sending them back to the real world.

When it did, the remaining creepers retreat.

~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

Tristan meets Maya and Antonio in the scanner room as they emerge back into the real world. Maya is out cold, but she is stirring now.

"Man, that was rush," Antonio mumbles. "You have any Pepto-Bismal, Tristan? I feel like I'm about to throw up."

"Careful, Antonio." He turns to his sister, whose blue eyes are now open. "Maya, you okay?"

"Yeah...I met Grandpa. He said it was our duty as the heirs to Lyoko to stop XANA no matter what."

"I know. He told me the same thing."

Antonio interrupts. "What? Who are you talking about? I never witnessed any of you talking to an old man."

The two siblings gaze at him. It is their fault for getting him involved in this mess, but he's in now, and he deserves to know the truth. Tristan begins.

"Antonio, you know that sphere you saw?" He nods. "That was Franz Hopper."

"Lyoko's creator," Maya finishes, "and our grandfather."

TO BE CONTINUED…

~L~Y~O~K~O~

A/N: Well, what do you think? Review, please, and tell me.


	2. 2: Lyokowarriors 2-0

A/N: I've wanted to start on this for a while now. Read at your own risk. This first part, I mean for the diaries, or journals in some cases, to be a little clue as to what their characters and personalities are, to give you more insight to their characters. The two pairings I am thinking of are Jeremie/Aelita and Ulrich/Yumi. Odd and William can be paired with whomever you wish. (Which I may or may not change later on in the story.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko, sadly. It belongs to Moonscoop. I do, however, own the six characters in this chapter.

~L~Y~O~K~O~

**Code Lyoko: **_**Convergence**_

_**Season One**_

**Episode 2:** Lyokowarriors 2.0

_September 14th, 2024, Kimiko Stern's Very Personal Diary. Keep Your Hands Off!_

It's been three days since school first started. I'm finding school the same as always: same old, same old.

But it's also been three days since I woke up in the middle of the night to my roommate, Maya, crawling into bed, fully dressed, even with her boots on.

I tried to ask where she was, but she didn't say anything. She only yawned, pretended I didn't say a word, and went to sleep right then.

I'm worried about her. For the past three days, I've tried to talk to her, telling her that if she ever needed to talk, I was always here, but she gently and politely shrugged me off, saying she was fine.

Yesterday at lunch, she was also not there. And Antonio Della Robbia and her brother, Tristan Belpios, weren't there either.

Again, I'm worried about her, but I think she has a secret. One of these days, I'm going to find out this secret of hers and what Antonio and her brother have to do with it.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

_**September 14, 2024**_

**Kadic Academy, Cafeteria**

Kimiko Stern picks up a plate of hash browns and toast. The lunch lady, Amelia, puts some scrambled eggs on her plate and greets the girl.

Kimiko smiles back at her, and thanks her for the meal, before sitting across from Rafael.

"Good morning, Nii-san," Kimiko says.

"That's a matter of opinion," Rafael replies, quietly, and almost coldly.

"What's wrong? Antonio keep you up at night again? Did he sneak out again?"

"No and no, Kimi," Rafael calls her by her pet name, which he only does when they're alone. "I'm so worried about him, and I'm confused. I've never cared about this much for anyone before, besides you, Oto-san, and Oka-san."

"Because you really do care for him as a friend," she replies. "I keep trying to tell you that. On another note, what's wrong with him?"

"He keeps sneaking off, and out of all people, he's sneaking off with the _Belpios siblings_."

"Tristan and Maya," she sternly scolds him. "They have names, you know. But you noticed that too? I thought I was the only one."

"Oh, yeah. The Belpois girl is your roommate, huh?"

"Maya. Her name is Maya, and I like it. She has a very pretty name, and a very kind and warm-hearted personality. What do you have against her?"

Before Rafael can answer, Daniel Dunbar runs up to the twins. "Rafael, Kimiko!"

"What is it?"

"Della Robbia's in the infirmary!"

"What'd he do? Pulling a muscle in his brain trying to add two plus two?" Kimiko glares at her older twin brother for saying such a thing.

"No! He's been electrocuted!" Daniel finally spills.

The twins give each other a knowing look.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Kadic Academy, Infirmary**

Blue eyes open to see a blur of blonde and a blob of pink right above him.

"Antonio?" Maya asks, as Antonio's vision clears up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, you took one nasty shock," Tristan gently adds. "Fortunately, the nurse said it was nothing serious. Just a minor electrical shock and some superficial burns, but it caused you to pass out."

"Oh, so that's happened," Antonio finally speaks. His voice is a little raspy, but he's okay. "I only wanted to get a frappuccino. But thanks for carrying me, guys."

"It's no problem," Tristan says. "We're friends, after all. Right?"

Maya and Antonio both nod.

But Maya's smile nearly wavers. If XANA is behind this, then he's trying take them all out.

"Listen, Tristan and I have to get back to class. I'll take notes for you, okay?" Maya speaks up.

"Okay."

"Will you be okay by yourself?" Tristan asks, concerned.

"Of course."

The two siblings give their friend a gentle smile before leaving.

Thirty seconds later, the door opens again, and in steps Rafael and Kimiko Stern, and Daniel Dunbar.

"Antonio, we heard what happened!" Kimiko exclaims. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"What's going on?"

"Huh?" Antonio is surprised by Rafael's question.

"Electrocutions don't happen randomly. What's going on?" Daniel elaborates, him being worried about his roommate Tristan as well.

"And how are the Belpois's involved?"

"Tristan and Maya," Kimiko corrects her brother again. "Please, Antonio. Just tell us. We're worried about you guys."

Antonio is silent.

These three know that something is up. That's for certain. They've been trying to be discreet, but he supposes they're not discreet enough.

He wants to tell them. He thinks it's pretty cool that he has a secret.

But he promised Tristan and Maya that he wouldn't tell.

"We're not hiding anything," he finally answers, and the other three's shoulders drop in disappointment and mild shock. Right now, he doesn't care if they don't buy it. He just wants them to stop interrogating him. "It's just a private study group we do."

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Kadic Academy, Courtyard**

"It's XANA's doing."

"You picked up on that, too, huh?" Tristan asks, and Maya nods.

"It's only reasonable explanation. XANA knows who we are. After all, Antonio and I were virtualized on Lyoko, and Grandpa did communicate with you. Obviously, XANA wants us dead. Either he wants us, as in you and me, alive and Antonio dead, or all of us dead. It's hard to tell because there's only been one attack."

"But that victim is Antonio. I get where you're going with this, Maya. Really, I do. But we also need to figure out how Grandpa survived."

"Maybe through a back-up system somewhere," Maya suggests.

"Maybe. But no matter how he did it, Maya," Tristan replies, "Grandpa is trapped on Lyoko. He and I ran a diagnostic last night, and that's what I found out. Grandpa either has a virus or is missing something that is preventing him from being devirtualized like you and Antonio."

"So, if we find the code that can free him, we can do that and shut down the Supercomputer before XANA can hurt anybody else," Maya finishes.

"Exactly. And you know where we can find that code?"

"Lyoko."

"Let's go."

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Lyoko, Sector Five**

_"Ready, Maya?"_

"Ready."

_"Ok."_ The scanner doors close. _"Transfer Maya, Scanner Maya, Virtualization."_

Maya virtualizes into the arena.

_"Were you transferred okay?"_

She nods. "Yep. I'm here."

_"Okay, the wall is about to open. Get ready." _She does. _"Uh oh, change of plans, Maya. Hopper is being attacked by XANA is his safe chamber. Take the access hall on your left."_

"Okay," Maya says, the wall opening on her left. "But how do I fight them? I don't have a weapon."

_"I noticed that you didn't have any powers besides the Keys Grandpa gave you, so I programmed you some energy bolts and shields. Use those."_

"Ok. Thank you," Maya says, as she runs down the hallway.

_"You're welcome. Turn right." _She does so. _"Turn right again."_ Again, she does. "_Now, press the key, and it will open a door, which will lead to Grandpa."_

"Okay. Could you call Antonio, please? Make sure he's okay?" Maya asks, as she presses the key her brother told her to press.

_"Sure thing."_

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Kadic Academy, Infirmary**

"Study group?" Rafael asks. Antonio nods.

Daniel mentally notes that it does make sense. Tristan and Maya are the smartest kids in their respective grades. It would make much sense if Antonio would seek academic help from them.

But Kimiko cuts in a whole in that lie. "In the middle of the night?"

Antonio isn't expecting this, but he knows how to improvise. "That's when the group first formed. I was going to the bathroom when I noticed them studying together outside in the hallway, at night, so I joined the group because I needed a tutor. We all came back so late that night, because we got a little carried away."

Antonio reaches for the radio, to turn it down, but right when he touches it, an electrical shock runs all throughout his body.

Rafael hears him cry out for help, and he quickly acts. He unplugs the radio, getting a little shock himself, but it saves Antonio, who slumps down further in his bed, panting deeply.

"Antonio?" Kimiko runs to him, as Rafael and Daniel unplug the rest of the electronics in the room, for safety.

The jokester groans. "I-I'm fine."

His cell rings.

Kimiko is the one who picks up. "Hello?"

_"Hello, who is this? Where's Antonio?"_

"It's Kimiko Stern. Who is this?"

_"Tristan Belpois. I'm calling to see if Antonio is okay. Where is he?"_

"He just got electrocuted again," Kimiko answers. "If you know how to stop this, Belpois, I'd do it now."

Antonio's ears perk up as soon as he hears that surname. He grabs his cell from Kimiko and speaks up.

"Tristan, I'm okay."

_"Kimiko just told me you got electrocuted again. Are you okay?"_

"That's true. I'm fine, but I can't walk right now. I'm feeling a little weak in the knees."

_"Antonio, you have to get over here. Right now. But if you can't, then..."_

"Tristan?"

_"Who's in the room with you, Antonio?"_

"Kimiko, Rafael, and Daniel. Thanks to them, I wasn't hurt severely after that second shock."

_"Tell them to carry you to the factory."_

"But..." the prank master is confused. "I thought you said not to tell anybody."

_"This is a special occassion, Antonio. I'll tell you all everything once you get here. Don't worry. Just get your butt over here. Maya and Hopper are in trouble."_

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Lyoko, Sector Five**

Maya creates another bolt and throws it at the last manta. "Last one! It's okay, Tristan! Grandpa is safe!"

_"Good job. I just called Antonio. He's on his way. I should warn you though. He's bringing a few friends over."_

"I thought we agreed to keep this secret."

_"Me too, but we have no choice. Antonio has hardly any strength left, and they were the only ones in the room with him, and they also saved him from getting shocked a second time. I think we can trust them."_

"If you say so...Tristan, Grandpa wants me to follow him. Should I?"

_"Yeah."_

So, Maya follows the white sphere down another hallway, and to another room, where she spots a tower with red aura and a multitude of mosnters guardian.

"Uh, Tristan?"

_"I see it, Maya. Grandpa just told me what it is via instant message. That tower is a portal between Lyoko and Earth, when it's red like it is now, it means it's activated. It's what allowing XANA to attack Antonio here on Earth."_

"So if we deactivate it, we can save Antonio!"

Maya is about to charge, but Tristan holds her back just mere words. _"Not so fast, Maya. Don't be hasty. He's says you're the only one who can deactivate it. You can't be devirtualized."_

Hopper's words from three days ago rush into her mind. She recalls what he told her, and she tries to calm down.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I'll try to be careful," she says, as she watches the white sphere that is her grandfather go back into his safe chamber. Maya concentrates and creates a pink, invisible shield around the chamber after the door closes behind Hopper. She whispers, "Sorry, Grandpa, but we can't lose you." then, she raises her voice a little. "Where's my back-up? I need it!"

_"Here it comes now. Transfer Antonio, Scanner Antonio, Virtualization!"_

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Abandoned Factory**

Tristan presses Enter, and then he relaxes. "Take the access hall in front of you, Antonio. Maya's placed a barrier around Hopper's safety chamber. Apparently, only she and Hopper can get through."

_"Thanks!"_

"No problem, but be careful. There's a lot of monsters where Maya is, and you have to protect her. She can't be devirtualized."

_"Roger!"_

After this, Tristan manages to breathe in and out slowly, trying to relax.

"So?" Daniel asks. Tristan turns to the other three that Antonio had bring him here. "Is this where your study group meets up?"

"Oh, yeah. I promised Antonio that I would tell you guys what's going on," Tristan replies, and then begins his explanation. "You see, Antonio's _'study group'_ explanation was a lie. The truth is we do have a secret, Maya, Antonio, and I. This Supercomputer holds a virtual world called Lyoko, created by my grandfather, and this is only between Maya and me, but Antonio got involved even though we didn't want him to. And now, you guys are too."

"What's this about Maya not being able to devirtualize?" Kimiko asks.

"XANA is our mortal enemy, and he is who and what attacked Antonio today. He's taken over a tower, and only Maya has the ability to get it back under neutral control."

"Wait, this XANA is the thing that electrocuted Antonio twice today?" Rafael asks. Tristan nods. "And there is a way to prevent him from being attacked again?"

Tristan nods again. "Yes, but there are a lot of monsters blocking the path to the tower. Maya and Antonio are going to need a lot of help now. Three days ago, we were only exploring and Antonio came to Lyoko to help Maya out with a few monsters, but now it's gotten even worse."

"Listen, Antonio is my friend," Kimiko glances over at her brother, and she smiled. "I'll help him out. Anyway I can."

"For Maya," Kimiko speaks up, meaning every word. "I volunteer, too."

Daniel doesn't want to feel left out, and Kimiko is going to be here. Besides, it's also a great chance to get to know his roommate better. "For everyone here, on Earth and on this Lyoko, I volunteer as well."

Tristan smiles, but warns, "Okay, but are you guys sure? Once you get virtualized on Lyoko, you can't turn back."

"We're sure," Rafael replies, his arms crossed, a stern look across his face. "We all are."

"Yeah," Daniel agrees, as Kimiko nods. "Now, how do we get to this Lyoko?"

"Okay. Go to that ladder over there. Slip down one level and each of you, get into one of the cylinders. Tell me when all three of you are there, and just wait. I'll handle things from there."

They shrug and do as Tristan says, and once they're down there, Kimiko calls up, "We're here, Tristan."

She has a worried look across her face.

"Okay. Transfer Kimiko." Her scanner doors close. "Transfer Rafael. Transfer Daniel." Their doors close as well. "Scanner Kimiko. Scanner Rafael. Scanner Daniel. Virtualization."

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Lyoko, Sector Five**

Three bodies fall to the ground in the arena. Kimiko stands, her and her brother modeled after pirates. She looks over at Daniel, and sees him modeled after a mediaval knight.

"Wow. Guys, get up."

Rafael and Daniel both get up and the three survey their surroundings, never seeing anything like it in their entire lives.

_"It's me,"_ Tristan's voice sounds over the intercom. _"Take the access hall in front of you. It should already be open."_

The trio run down the hallway, turn when Tristan says, and finally enter the room where the tower is.

The three witness Antonio jump in front of Maya, his energy bow activated, and when the megatank he's protecting her from fires, he fires an arrow as well. The arrow hits the megatank and destroys it, but Antonio is gone too.

Maya glances up to see the other three. She jumps and rolls over to where they are and she immediately sets up a pink shield behind them, just as two mantas fire at them.

"You guys must be Antonio's friends," Maya says, trying to be friendly. She cries out when another megatank fires its laser. She manages to avoid the hit, and creates another bolt. She throws it at the megatank, and it's destroyed upon impact.

"Where's Antonio?" Rafael demands.

Maya grabs Kimiko and Daniel and shoves them to the ground just as her shield gives away, as it shatters.

But is Rafael seriously mad at her for something she had no control over? "Relax, would ya?" she replies, mildly sarcastic, not having the time nor the spirit to calm him or deal with him. "He's back on Earth."

_"Maya, deactivate the tower, quickly!"_ Comes Tristan's voice. _"XANA's sent an electricity monster! It's attacking Antonio and me!"_

"I'm on it!" She calls out. Turning back to the other three. "Listen, you three, I don't have the time to explain everything to you. For now, just get rid of all of these monsters."

"Just two mantas left," Daniel replies, pointing to them. "What are my weapons and powers?"

"It's something related to your avatar," Maya explains, setting up another pink shield.

"Avatar?"

"What you look like on Lyoko," Maya elaborates, her shield being fired on by the mantas.

It is now that Daniel notices a sword handing from his hip, sheathed. He unsheathes it, and asks, "Belpois, could you take down your shield?"

Maya opens up a section in her shield, large enough to allow Daniel to pass through. "Be careful!" She calls after him, closing the section after him.

Daniel jumps off the side and lands on one of the mantas. The other manta fires and a small shield activates in front of Daniel. It's an energy-based shield, but it blocks the lasers. He then sticks his sword in the eye of the manta, locating on the top.

The other manta attacks Daniel again, and this time, he's gone too, devirtualized, just like Antonio.

But so is the first manta.

Only one remains now, and the twins look at each other.

Rafael pulls out a pirate-like saber, while Kimiko pulls out a pistol. "Ready?" He asks. She nods, and Maya can only watch.

Her shield still up, Maya observes the twins, in perfect sync, run toward the manta. After dodging a barrage of laser fire from it, the two jump and flip over it, Rafael stabbing it in the eye, just as Kimiko fires a laser shot from her pistol.

Maya covers her eyes as the last manta is destroyed.

The twins land and give each other high five. "Nice job," he tells her.

"Thanks, you too."

Maya runs past them, calling back at them. "Thanks for clearing the passage!"

It's their turn to watch as Maya enters the tower, blue ripples forming around her as she does.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Abandoned Factory**

Tristan is slammed into the wall. Daniel grabs a piece of metal and blocks the shock, but the metal only lowers its fatality.

_MAYA_

Antonio backs up into the wall, as the electricity monster, or sphere, takes over the holoweb map, sending out sparks all throughout the room.

_CODE:_

The sphere drops Daniel, and he falls to the ground. Sparks shoot across the room to Antonio.

_LYOKO_

Tristan comes to just as the electricity sphere disappears. He gets up, as Antonio moves to help Daniel.

"Maya, she did it."

_"Tower deactivated,"_ Maya tells her brother.

"Good job, Maya. Thank you. The Factory took some damage, and so did Antonio. I'm launching a program I found," Tristan says.

_"What is it?"_

"_Return to the past now_!"

From the holoweb map, a bright white light emerges and expands.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

_**September 14, 2024**_

**Kadic Academy, Cafeteria**

"Thanks, Amelia," Kimiko smiles with gratitude at the lunch lady, before sitting down across from her older twin brother.

"Good morning, Nii-san."

"What just happened?" Rafael asks.

"Wha...?" Kimiko is confused.

"We were doing this just this morning," he explains. "Don't you remember?"

"Yeah, I do. But how?"

"Tristan launched a return trip in time," Daniel replies, coming up to them, holding his own plate of breakfast. "He said he dug up an old program, and after Maya deactivated the tower, he launched it."

"Oh, wait, Antonio!" Rafael suddenly exclaims.

"Relax, good buddy," Antonio replies, he, Tristan, and Maya behind them. "I'm just fine. I got my frappuccino with no problems." He holds it in his hands right now.

"Good," Rafael relaxes.

"Well done, nerd," Daniel congratulates Tristan, meaning in the kindest way possible. "You saved Antonio and all of us."

But Tristan raises an eyebrow. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, come on, you haven't forgotten the red tower and Lyoko and me as a medieval knight, have you?" Daniel asks, the others becoming worried.

"You three know about Lyoko?"

"That's weird," Maya comments. "It looks like the return in time didn't quite work on him. Tristan, these three saved Antonio and allowed me passage to the tower to save you all. You launched a Return to the Past. Remember?"

"Not really," Tristan replies. "But I don't doubt you. But why me? Why am I the only one who doesn't remember?"

"Maybe it's because you was the only one who didn't get virtualized onto Lyoko," Maya suggests.

"That could be, but if that is, then I could be missing some important stuff. I'm going to the factory right after lunch and scan myself."

"But don't you think this is dangerous?" Kimiko asks. "Don't you think we ought to shut down the supercomputer?"

They are all silent while they ponder over this. "It is. It is dangerous. But what about bringing Grandpa in? We promised, Maya! Give me a few hours to work it out, guys, okay? Please?"

The others think it over, and reply. "Okay."

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Abandoned Factory**

After lunch, Maya leads the others to the factory. As the elevator doors open, Tristan greets them. "Hey, guys. I've already scanned myself. That way, I'll be immune to the return trip like you guys. Good thing you all showed up when you did. I was just about to call you over."

The five surround Tristan around his chair. "What's up?" Daniel asks.

Tristan begins typing away. "I found a video clip I think we all should see. I only saw the first few seconds of it, not all of it, but it's pretty bizarre, and it explains a lot."

"Just play it," Rafael calmly commands. Tristan does, as the group grows quiet, and the clip begins to play.

_"Diary of Jeremie Belpois. June 21. Year of 2012."_

"Papa?" Maya asks, whispering, but her father isn't the only one in the frame. "Mama?" Jeremie and Aelita are on the screen, Jeremie sitting in the chair, Aelita standing beside him.

"Dad," Antonio breathes, as his eyes lay on Odd.

"That's Oto-san and Oka-san," Kimiko points to Yumi and Ulrich.

"And Dad," Daniel notes the prescence of William.

"Can I continue, please?" Tristan asks. Maya nods, and Tristan presses play.

_"After another few trips to Lyoko, we've finally been able to neutralize XANA. Unfortunately, our new virus wasn't able to destroy him completely, but it did manage to successfully steal Aelita's half of Lyoko's Keys back, as well as all of the source codes. This time, we've been able to divide them all evenly between all six of us. We've also discovered that Franz Hopper is still alive, and he's survived thanks to the Cortex. He's currently, and even after we shut down the Supercomputer, again, he will survive as long as he stays on that replica. We realize now that it's been five years since the Cortex has been shut down, and we only turned ours back on to retrieve more data." _The others in the background nod in the clip._ "But, we have realized, together, that no matter what, as long as Lyoko exists and or XANA is still alive, he will keep coming back. In the meantime, we'll shut down the Supercomputer, neutralize XANA, and then live the rest of lives, hopefully, XANA-free."_

The clips ends and the six are mildly shocked.

"Our parents_ were_ involved in Lyoko," Maya states. "All of us. They started this, and they couldn't finish it."

"Because they didn't have enough energy or material to do so," Antonio finishes.

"So, it's up to us," Tristan says. "To finish what they started."

"It's too dangerous," Rafael sternly says. "We should shut it down."

"Look, as long as XANA still exists, the world remains in danger," Maya fights back.

"And we also promised not to shut down the Supercomputer until Hopper was back on Earth," Antonio brings up another good point.

"I agree with Maya," Kimiko says. "And Antonio. If you made a promise to Hopper, you should keep it."

"Me too," Daniel agrees.

Rafael nods.

"Great," Tristan smiles, and he types in a few codes. "Gather around, everyone." He presses record. _"Diary of Tristan Belpois. Sepetember 14. Year of 2024. It's been twelve years since the Supercomputer was last turned off. Our parents couldn't destroy XANA, and now we, their kids, have been dragged into the fight. Despite all obstacles, we, the Lyokowarriors 2.0, hereby vow to not shut the Supercomputer off until Franz Hopper is back on Earth and XANA is destroyed, once and for all."_

The other five nod in agreement.

~L~Y~O~K~O~

A/N: Well, what do you think? Review, please, and tell me.


	3. 3: Intervention

A/N: I've wanted to start on this for a while now. Read at your own risk. This first part, I mean for the diaries, or journals in some cases, to be a little clue as to what their characters and personalities are, to give you more insight to their characters. The two pairings I am thinking of are Jeremie/Aelita and Ulrich/Yumi. Odd and William can be paired with whomever you wish. (Which I may or may not change later on in the story.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko, sadly. It belongs to Moonscoop. I do, however, own the six characters in this chapter.

~L~Y~O~K~O~

**Code Lyoko: **_**Convergence**_

_**Season One**_

**Episode 3:** Intervention

_**September 15, 2024**_

**Kadic Academy, Courtyard**

It's morning, and the first thing Maya does upon meeting up with the others alongside Antonio is smile at her new friends.

"Morning, everyone!" she happily greets.

"Morning," Kimiko is the only one who gives her verbal confirmation. Daniel is deep in his Algebra book, and Tristan is on his laptop, but the two each give her a nod. Rafael gives her a small glance, saying nothing, before going back to his business.

"Ouch..." Antonio mutters, sarcastically. "What a warm atmosphere..."

"Sorry," Daniel apologizes, still studying. "There's a math quiz next period, and I didn't study last night."

"I asked if you needed some help," Maya cuts in. "You said you didn't and you had it all handled. I believe you told me, word for word, that you had 'this math quiz in the bag'."

"Well..." Daniel trails off before clearing his throat. "Not now, Belpois, I've got to concentrate."

"It's Maya..." said girl whispers.

Antonio is the only one who hears this, and he glances over at her, noticing the strained tone in her voice.

Strained as in... sad, almost broken.

And he's immediately worried.

"Concentrate, my eye," Rafael sasses under his breath. "Kimiko and I studied together every night for the past week. You could have joined us anytime you wanted."

Daniel wants to sass him back, but it looks like he has nothing to say, so he closes his mouth.

Antonio glances over at Maya again. She's still not speaking up, so he does it for her. "So, all four of you have the same math quiz today?"

"Yep," Kimiko is happy, due to being a morning person. "I'm positive I'll get a good grade. Tristan helped us a couple nights ago. Thanks for that, by the way, Tristan."

"You're welcome."

"And what, may I ask, are you doing?" Daniel asks the computer nerd, as the latter types away on his laptop, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"I'm digging through some old files in the Supercomputer's database, in the hopes that I'll find something useful. But there's a lot. It's gonna take me a few days to sift through it all."

"T-Tristan..." When Maya finds her voice, finally, Antonio immediately notes how broken she sounds. "Could I...maybe, talk to you?"

"Sorry, Sis," the nerd apologizes. "I'm a little busy. Can't it wait?"

"I-It's important..." she adds.

Tristan opens his mouth to answer Maya's inquiry, but the beeping of Daniel's watch interrupts him before he can.

"Oh, that's the five-minute warning bell," Tristan announces to the group. "We should probably get going to that quiz. Sorry, Maya. We'll talk later, okay?"

The twins follow him, as does Daniel, who hangs his head like he's been sentenced to the gallows.

Maya waves goodbye to them, and when they're out of sight, into the math classroom, her smile finally fades. She lowers her hand, muttering, "Sure thing, Brother."

Antonio notices her frown and the almost tears in her blue eyes, and he places a gentle hand on her shoulder.

This is when he notes her trembling. It's barely visible to the naked eye, but it's made itself able to be felt.

And it makes Antonio worry to hell and back.

"Are you okay, Maya?" He asks her.

His heart sinks when he sees her frown deepen. "Some popular kids here keep making fun of me. I keep trying to tell Tristan about it, but he always has somewhere else to be, or something else that's going on."

It's in this moment that Antonio also realizes that Maya's happy and naive facade is all a mask. She acts like she can't get hurt, when in fact, everything that touches her can, in fact, wound her. She needs somewhere to turn, someone to talk to. She needs an outlet.

"Am I not good enough?" It's a horrible attempt at making a joke, but he mentally cheers when he sees her smile appeaar for a brief second before disappearing.

Because that's what he really wants. He wants her to smile.

And a small ghost of a smile still on her face, she replies, "Of course, you are, Antonio. You're my best friend, but Tristan is my brother. I've known him longer. But since he's never really around when I need him the most, you'll have to do for now. After all, you're the only one in the group who even bothers to listen."

Antonio raises a confused eyebrow, but Maya pulls him along.

"Never mind. We have to go to the library now."

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Library, Eighth Grade**

"Wait, wait, wait," Antonio whispers, semi-harshly. "Repeat that last sentence again, please."

Maya clears her throat, as she types away on her own laptop. "I said, _'Physics is a science that deals with matter and energy and the way they act on each other in heat, light, electricity, and sound.'_"

As Antonio writes that down, he asks, "Woah, cool. You mean all we have to do is say that?"

The two have a physics report due next period, and Antonio is doing his at the last minute. As usual.

"No," Maya replies. "Of course not. You have to give at least two examples."

"Oh..." Antonio digs into his book bag for his physics book, and upon skimming through it, that question from this morning left unanswered still in his mind pops up again. So he finally caves and asks, "Hey, Maya...you know, from earlier...what did you mean by I'm 'the only one in the group who bothers to listen' to you?"

Maya's shoulders slump, and he regrets ever asking her, but he holds his doot down.

"Well...like I said earlier, Tristan's too busy. Kimiko's perfect in every way, so she probably will never understand. Daniel's always chasing after Kimiko, and he's too much of a stranger to really talk. And Rafael...well...you've met him."

Antonio raises his eyebrow again. "What's up with Rafael?"

"He hates me."

"What?! That's crazy! He's nice to me! Well...nice in his own way. What's he got against you?" Anyone hating Maya, a nice person, just the idea of it is ludicrous.

"I don't know," Maya replies, not regaining her happiness at all. "But I can see it in his eyes."

Antonio opens his mouth to reply, but an alert cuts him off before he can start. "What's that?" He looks on Maya's laptop screen, where the alert is coming from.

"Oh no," Maya whispers back. "An activated tower! I had Tristan hook my laptop up to the Supercomputer like his. That way, I can be notified if there's a tower to deactivate, like there is now." She closes her laptop, and Antonio closes his book. "Okay, we're out of here. We can still beat XANA and prevent any damage if we act fast."

The two are packed up now, ready to go. "Operation Library-Bust?"

Maya nods. "We're a-go." And then, she covers her ears as Antonio begins yelling.

"I'm telling you, the recipe calls for cottage cheese frosting!"

"No, it doesn't! How would you know that?!" She yells back.

"Because it's a bran cake! Sugar-free! Duh!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

Maya clears her throat, silencing Antonio, and pointing to the young lady behind him.

He quits his shouting, and sends a subtle, knowing glance at Maya. "Oh, sorry, Miss Hunter. We're not speaking too loudly, are we?"

"You two can go study outside, go to the principal's office, or even go out and see a movie for all I care," the young strawberry blonde haired woman replies. "Just get out."

The two collect their belongings, and after the clear the doors leading to the outside world, they start running for the sewers.

As they run, Maya can't help but ask, "Hey, what was that recipe for anyways? Sugar-free bran cake with cottage cheese frosting? It's sounds totally bizarre! And gross!"

Antonio shrugs. "It's one of my dad's experiments!"

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Abandoned Factory**

Tristan glances over at the elevator when the doors open. "Oh, Antonio, Maya, you're here." He pauses upon seeing their angry (in Antonio's case) and sad (in Maya's case) faces. "Umm...are you two okay? Did somebody say something?"

"Nope, we're fine," Antonio glares. It's aimed at Tristan, and the computer nerd doesn't know why. And that's what bugs him. "Everything is all dandy."

"Good. So, if nothing's going to affect your fighting, Rafael, Kimiko, and Daniel are already at the tower, clearing the passage. I'll virtualize you directly into the arena."

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Lyoko, Sector Five**

_"Transfer Antonio, Transfer Maya. Scanner Antonio, Scanner Maya. Virtualization!"_

Antonio and Maya, bird and elf avatars, land in the arena. "We're here, Tristan," Maya says.

_"Okay. Take the access hall behind you. It's already open."_

The two run through the doorway, coming upon the activated tower. Daniel was already there, fighting off a couple of creepers with his sword and shield. Rafael and Kimiko are teaming up against a trio of mantas.

"You stay here, Maya," Antonio motions to the wall they just came out from behind of. "I'll go and help clean up."

"Okay."

And she watches as her best friend ran off, his energy bow activated, right into the danger.

Rafael and Kimiko each pull out a saber and a pistol, and Rafael throws his other pistol to Kimiko, and she throws her saber to him.

Daniel eggs them on, blocking lasers with his shield.

As Rafael takes out a couple of mantas with his twin sabers, Kimiko flips upside down and takes out two more with her twin pistols, before a rouge creeper takes her out.

Daniel mildly panics when Kimiko is devirtualized. He uses his shield to block a few lasers from three creepers, destroying all three of them without even touching them.

He cheers, and he barely hears Antonio telling him to "Watch out!"

Daniel is devirtualized as well, hit by a laser he wasn't expecting.

Rafael and Antonio still have a ways to go before the passage is clear. Maya's blue eyes narrow in determination.

She needs to help. Maybe that's why everyone hates her. They think she's defenseless and can't take care of herself.

Maya runs out from her hiding place, energy bolts activated, ready to help against another trio of mantas and quintuplet of creepers.

But a transparent tentacle stops her dead in her tracks.

Carefully glancing up, she is met face to face with the Schypozoa.

If her mother's stories serve her right, this monster is not to be messed with or taken lightly. It can suck the life right out of you. All it needs to do is capture you.

Her entire body is shaking, her mind filled with only one thing: fear.

She remembers her two energy bolts fired up in her hands, and so she throws them at it.

One flies past it, while the other barely grazes it.

It keeps moving toward her, so she keeps backing up.

"T-Tristan..." she softly calls out before her back hits a solid wall. Her knees almost buckle when this occurs, but she needs to be strong for the others. She needs to have enough strength to run away.

Two of its tentacles swirled around her and grab her by the middle. They're not touching her, but Maya, surrounded by a dark red aura, is paralyzed. She can feel their tentacles burning her skin.

She's trying to break free, but she can't bring herself to move. She tries to cry out for help, but her voice appears to be muted.

She's lifted up into the air, and three extra tentacles surround her head. When they turn red, when they activate, she finds herself unable to think straight.

She barely hears a voice from above cry out, _"Rafael, Antonio! MAYA IS –!"_

Who is this voice? And who are these Rafael and Antonio? What's going on?

"Whoa! What is that thing?!" Some boy asks.

"What do you want us to do?" A deeper voice inquires.

_"Destroy it! That thing is taking away Maya's memory!"_

There's a flash of bright blue and the next thing she knows, she's laying on the ground, face up.

She groans lightly, Antonio kneeling next to her. "You okay, Maya?"

His voice sounds so far away.

"Whatever that thing was, it seemed to have scared the other monsters away," as does Rafael's. "The passage is clear." He seems to pause, and Maya can't determine why. "She okay?"

Oh...maybe Rafael's not as heartless as she first thought he was.

"'Mm fine," she mumbles, trying to get re-oriented, as she rubs her forehead. Antonio helps her into a sitting position. "I just feel really weird..."

_"Entering the tower will leave you refreshed. It'll restore all of your lifepoints." _Tristan notes. _"Go on and deactivate the tower. Trust me, we'll talk after."_

Maya nods but immediately regrets this decision. She feels disoriented and really dizzy. She takes one step, and she nearly keels over.

In fact, she knows she would have fallen flat on her face if Antonio and Rafael hadn't been close by.

"I'll keep watch for any more monsters," Rafael gently commands Antonio. "You take her to the tower."

Antonio nods and slings Maya's arm over his shoulder. "C'mon, Maya."

Rafael watches as Antonio assists Maya to the acivated tower. Just seeing her in this state, the one XANA left her in after he attacked her, is enough to make his heart twinge with guilt.

What if she had died from the attack?

Maybe he was being a little unfair to her. He supposes he could be a little nicer to her. After all, XANA seems to be after hers, Tristan's, and their grandfather's blood. XANA appears to have a grudge against her and her family.

Rafael wonders why, his own blood beginning to simmer.

What happened all those years ago? With their parents? With Franz Hopper? Did that have anything to do with their kids, them, being chosen to protect Lyoko against XANA as well?

Rafael mentally sighs in relief when blue ripples form around Maya's body, signaling her entrance into the tower.

"I hope she's okay," Antonio ponders aloud.

_"Maya's a trooper,"_ Tristan replies from above._ "She'll be fine."_

"Anyways, what was XANA's attack?" Daniel asks from the lab. "We never did find out."

"I don't know," Antonio shrugs.

_MAYA_

_CODE:_

_LYOKO_

"Tower deactivated."

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Abandoned Factory**

"Tower's neutral, and the other three are on their way to the scanners now," Tristan presses the enter key. "That's another point to us."

"Do you think XANA even had time to send out an attack?" Kimiko asks. Daniel shrugs just as the elevator doors open.

But only Rafael and Antonio are there.

"Where's Maya?" Tristan asks.

"You must have tripped over a rock or something, genius," Antonio replies. "She didn't materialize with us."

Tristan opens the scanner window on his screen, and says, "I'm gonna try it again, Maya. Ready?"

_"Y-Yeah..."_ comes Maya's slightly shaky voice. She must be scared by this situation.

Tristan feels really bad for involving her in all of this, but he sucks it up.

"Materialization Maya." He presses enter. On the scanner window, one of the three columns burn red, and when it turns blue, he asks, "Maya, are you in the real world?"

But another window pops up on the screen. It shows Maya's face. _"No."_

And the other five, in the lab, are surprised by her answer.

_"I'm still on Lyoko, inside the tower,"_ Maya replies. _"W-What's going on? Is something wrong?"_

"N-No," Tristan stutters, trying to stay strong. "Yes. I-I don't know. Just stay inside the tower while I figure this out. You'll be safe in there. Okay?"

_"Okay...any ideas?"_

"XANA could have given you a bug or a virus. It's gonna take a while, okay? But I promise I'll find the answer."

Maya says nothing, but she nods, not smiling, before signing off and closing the window.

"Do you plan on keeping that promise, genius?" Antonio coldly asks.

Tristan raises an eyebrow at the inquiry. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You always say you'll talk to her later, but you never do," the group jokester replies. But he's not kidding around. Not this time.

"That's...not a healthy relationship..." Kimiko mutters.

"You guys are no better!" comes Antonio's outburst, and the others are surprised by what he's implying. "In Maya's eyes, in short, Tristan never keeps his promises, Kimiko's too perfect, Daniel's too lovesick for Kimiko, and Rafael just doesn't care!"

"How. Dare. You. Accuse. Us. Of. Such. Things?!" Kimiko grits her teeth.

"I didn't! Maya did!" And the entire lab is silent.

"But...why would she talk to you about her problems?" Tristan quietly asks. He's the only one who dares to speak up.

"Maybe because you guys are never around to listen."

And with this Antonio leaves the lab, leaving the others, especially Tristan, in dust that causes them to really think.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

_**September 16, 2024**_

**Cafeteria**

It's the next morning. After getting his breakfast, Daniel sits down with Rafael and Kimiko. Antonio also sits with them, but he's mad, refusing to talk to any of them.

"How's Tristan?" Kimiko raises her head, stiring her soup with her soup. She asks Daniel this because she wants to know.

"He pulled an all-nighter. Genius even fell asleep at his computer."

"Losing sleep to solve a problem..." Kimiko mutters.

"Losing sleep to save his sister, actually," Daniel corrects.

The twins' heads pop up, as does Antonio's, upon hearing this.

"What?" Rafael wants to know what this means, even though he has a fleeting idea.

"I hardly got any sleep last night because of Tristan working nonstop, but my lack of sleep was worth it, because I noticed something. And it's the fact that even though the two don't spend a lot of time together, Tristan and Maya are really dedicated to one another."

"How's Maya doing?" Antonio asks. It's the first time he speaks to any of them in twelve hours.

"Last time I checked she was fine. She was there to witness me wake Tristan up before coming down to breakfast, but Tristan isn't coming out of his room any time soon."

"Thank God there are no classes today," Rafael says, Kimiko nodding.

"Yeah..." This is when Daniel's cellphone rings. He sets his fork down on his tray and answers. "Yeah? Oh, hey Tristan. What's up?"

_"Come to my room quickly. I've found both the problem and the solution."_

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Dorm Room: Tristan and Daniel**

"At first, I thought XANA had given Maya some type of bug," Tristan begins as soon as Kimiko, the last person to enter the room, closes the door.

"Woah," Daniel comments. "That was fast. Sorry. Continue."

"Anyways, I thought he gave her a bug or a virus, when in fact, XANA took something from her."

"Took?" Antonio repeats.

Tristan nods. "I ran a digital analysis, and I found that the Schypozoa, the thing that attacked her, stole Maya's human DNA code sequence. I would give you a long explanation, but in short, no DNA sequence, no returning to Earth. As long as XANA has Maya's DNA code, she can't materialize back here."

"You mean Maya is stuck on Lyoko like Hopper?" Daniel asks. Tristan slowly nods.

"And if she's devirtualized by XANA's monsters' lasers, if she looses all of her lifepoints, she's gone for good. The safest place for her is if she stays on Lyoko, inside the tower."

"And what about the solution?" Daniel asks. "You said you had one."

"I do. According to the Supercomputer, there's one place to find anything stored in XANA's own memory. I'm heading to the factory after lunch to lead Maya there."

"Wait," Kimiko stops him in his track. "You're going alone?"

"Yes." That's all he says.

"Why? Like you said, if Maya looses all of her lifepoints, she's gone forever. It's better if we go with you."

"Look, I was the one who got Maya involved in this mess, and because of Maya, Antonio got sucked in. Following Antonio came Rafael, then Kimiko, and then Daniel. All of this is my fault. It wasn't fair to you guys to be suddenly pulled into something as dangerous as this."

"Whether you're to blame or not," Rafael says, "We're in now. Besides, like Kimiko said, Maya needs some bodyguards if she's in this much danger. And I volunteer myself as one of them."

"Me too," Antonio immediately follows.

"Me three," comes Kimiko's reply.

"Me four," and finally Daniel.

And Tristan smiles.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Lyoko, Sector Five**

_"Maya, help is on the way."_

"Okay," Maya replies from inside her tower. Tristan is back. That means that he's at the factory, ready to lead her to this interface he claims holds all of XANA's memory. The interface only she can access. "Wait...help?"

_"Yes, the others volunteered to go with you,"_ Tristan replies. _"Stay inside the tower, okay? They'll meet you in a few."_

"Okay," she replies once again.

Maya lies down, staring at the endless navy blue panels of light blue interfaces on the walls surrounding her. According to Tristan, she's been here, inside the tower, on Lyoko, for twenty-four hours at the most.

Any other person would have been bored out of their minds, but Tristan was there all throughout those long hours.

And all that time they spent together, the time Tristan spent working on the problem and how to solve it, the two siblings talked.

And it turned out that Tristan could double-task very well, working and talking to her at the same time.

Maya heard from Daniel a couple of times, during which he genuinely asked her how she was holding up.

She notes the time when Tristan eventually dozed off. She didn't sleep. She found out that Lyoko didn't have the same properties as the real world did. No air to breath (and no necessity to breath either), no smells, no need to sleep, less vibrant colors...

And to think her mother spent at least a decade here...

Maya couldn't stand to stay here for one night.

"Maya!" she hears Kimiko call from outside. "You in there?"

_"Maya?"_ Tristan asks from above.

"I know," she replies, getting up from her lying-down position. "Tell them I'll be out in a minute."

_"Okay."_ And he cuts off.

She stands up and walks to the edge of the platform. She's on the second one, up in the air, and the minute she steps off, she's surrounded by a blue aura. It allows her to gently descend and safely land on the larger platform below.

Blue ripples form around her as she exits the tower, and she's greeted with the sight of four of her five friends right outside.

"Welcome, Princess," Antonio mock-bows at her. "We are your bodyguards."

Maya smiles as Rafael rolls his eyes, and sternly says, "Cut it out, Antonio. Let's get going before XANA realizes what we're up to."

_"He's right,"_ sounds Tristan._ "Go forward and then turn right."_

"Okay," Daniel replies. "We should probably have you in the middle, Maya. That way you're surrounded on all sides."

Maya nods, following Daniel and Kimiko, Rafael and Antonio behind her.

They walk slowly, though wanting to walk faster. All six of them are afraid of XANA at the moment. He's the one who holds Maya's DNA code and he's the one who has the ability to take away life points.

XANA can kill Maya in a split second.

As Tristan explained earlier, XANA wants to get rid of the Belpois's. He also wants to get rid of Hopper, whom Tristan and Maya are both related to. That's probably why he stole Maya's DNA code in the first place.

To make her vulnerable.

The five on Lyoko glance around, wary of the fact that XANA has not reared his ugly head yet. No monsters, and that's why they're so worried and weirded out.

After walking down the long hallway, they enter a large chamber.

Daniel and Kimiko are about to enter, but Maya stops them.

"Maya?" Kimiko asks. "You okay?"

"It's a trap," is all she says.

"It does look like it," Daniel replies. "But when you gotta go, you gotta go."

_"I have a countdown window up here, guys. Three minutes,"_ says Tristan from the lab. _"You have to press the key before the time reaches zero. Otherwise, the entire core zone will reconfigure, which means you guys could either get trapped there or devirtualize."_

"You know where it is?" Daniel asks.

_"On the wall in front of you, left hand side."_

Daniel spots it. "On it. You guys stay here."

And Daniel runs out into the open. Kimiko looks up and sees a column about to smash down on him.

"Watch out!"

As soon as she says it, the column is all Maya, Rafael, and Antonio see.

Not knowing it Daniel and Kimiko are still there, Rafael shouts, "The whole ceiling is booby-trapped. Move it!"

It turns out, the two were still here. Glancing up, the two quickly get back on their feet, and continue running.

More columns smash down behind them, and a laser flies past Daniel's ear.

"Keep going!" Kimiko tells him, unsheathing her saber. Two creepers are here, which means XANA finally noticed they were here. "I got them."

Rafael, Antonio, and Maya are nervously waiting behind the first column, as they hear the sounds of a laser-and-saber fight.

After a couple of minutes, though, the columns raise back up into the ceiling, giving the other three a accurate view of what the outcome was.

The Creepers are gone, with Kimiko being the price paid to get rid of them. The key has also been pressed, but Daniel lays on the ground, devirtualizing, having been shot at by a Creeper.

"It's up to you..." Daniel manages, before disappearing from Lyoko completely.

"Okay," Rafael takes charge now. "Let's go."

Antonio and Maya follow him out of the chamber and into the now-opened corridor on the other side.

"Next up is the elevator. You gotta time it right. It won't stop for you."

"Okay," Antonio replies.

The three wait for a few seconds, before Rafael commands, "Now!"

They jump and land on the elevator, which takes them to a platform. Once it reaches the platform, it stops, and a door opens at the other end.

The trio run to the doorway, and the platform continues. But they're outside now, and Maya notes that it looks like the inside of a tower, with bright blue interfaces on a navy-blue wall.

There's another interface at the edge of the platform.

_"That's it, Maya. That interface is where XANA's memory is stored."_

"Okay."

Maya runs up to it, and begins to sift through the data.

"You know where to find your DNA code?" Antonio asks.

"Not really, but if it belongs to me, I'm positive I'll find it somehow."

"In the meantime, it's our job to act as her guards, Antonio," Rafael replies.

"Right."

While the two look around, on guard for any monsters, Antonio notices a section of the wall bulging.

"What is that?" Antonio points to the bulge.

_"The mantas' nest,"_ Tristan replies. _"I can't do anything on my end, though, while Maya's at that interface. Sorry. You'll have to make do without me."_

"Don't worry," Antonio says.

_"How you holding up, Maya?"_ Tristan asks.

"Just fine. Nothing yet."

"The nest has hatched!" Antonio points to the three mantas emerging from the wall. While he energized his bow, Rafael unsheathes his saber.

One manta fires up its laser, but Rafael throws his saber at it, destroying it.

However, he loses his saber in the process.

Antonio fires an arrow at a second and watches it explode. "Two down already."

But the third fires up its laser, aimed right at an unsuspecting Maya.

But Rafael uses his entire body as a shield, losing the last of his life points because of it.

"Found it! I'm sending it to you know, Tristan! Is Rafael okay? And the other two?"

_"I've got it. I'm downloading it back to your profile. And yes, they're all fine."_

Maya breathes a sigh of relief. "Good. And I'm glad to finally be going ho–!"

The third and rouge manta fires its laser again, and Antonio watches in horror as Maya devirtualizes.

And in a rage, Antonio aims an energy arrow at the manta and fires.

With him all alone out here, Antonio asks, "Did you have time to reinsert her code?"

_"I sure hope so. I'm bring you back now. Materialization Antonio!"_

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

**Abandoned Factory, Scanner Room**

The elevator doors open just as Antonio steps out of the scanner. Tristan jumps over the middle hatch and lands beside an out-cold Maya.

"Maya?" Tristan asks. "You okay?"

Maya's blurry vision clears up to see Tristan right above. She smiles and nods.

~C~O~D~E~L~Y~O~K~O~S~E~A~S~O~N~6~C~O~N~V~E~R~G~E~N~C~E~

_**September 17, 2024**_

**Kadic Academy, Cafeteria**

It's the next morning, and Kimiko and Maya have just gotten breakfast from Amelia, the new lunch lady. After doing so, the two girls find the table the guys are at and sit down.

"I know I've said this many times already," Maya says, after she swallows a bite of her croissant. "But thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, Maya," Kimiko replies.

Daniel adds, "And yes, you've said that numerous times already."

"We're just glad you're okay," Rafael says, with a little smile.

"And we promise, from now on, to never take each other for granted again," Tristan finishes. "We're a team now. We might as well start acting like one."

And Maya's response is a smile.

~L~Y~O~K~O~

A/N: Well, what do you think? Review, please, and tell me.


End file.
